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Pokemon Go Invades Pro Audio

There's been a lot of talk about how creating sound for Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality apps will change the face of pro audio; now the game Pokemon Go has become an instant, ubiquitous hit and taken AR mainstream in the process. With that in mind, we figured at least a few audio pros were playing it (for "research purposes," of course!), so we asked around on social media—and were not disappointed.

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality are all the rage right now. What they portend for the pro audio world remains to be seen, but as new surround sound technologies and standards come online to make the most of these emerging media formats, the changes in store will be significant.

While VR has gotten most of the attention to date, AR got its moment in the spotlight in early July with the arrival of Pokemon Go. The smartphone game, allowing players to hunt and interact with 100 imaginary species of Pokemon in real-world settings, has been an overnight blockbuster with an estimated 15 million downloads in its first 10 days.

With that in mind, we figured at least a few audio pros out there were playing, so we asked around on social media—and we were not disappointed.

Reader @zalesskiy sent us this shot of a Pidgey atop a well-appointed SSL console, hidden somewhere in Russia.

But our favorite Pro Audio Pokemon Go picture was sent to us from freelance sound editor/designer and VO engineer, Lucy Johnstone, currently working on the BBC’s long-running soap opera, EastEnders. Finding this Rattata at BBC Elstree Centre, she sent a shot our way, later adding, “I was on a break, I swear!”